When Christian and Danielle Murcia launched their first food truck 10 years ago, only a handful of restaurants on wheels were circulating in Orange County – Kogi BBQ and Piaggio on Wheels.

Dozens of trucks have come and gone – some giving up the road to park their concepts at permanent locations. Others fell flat, never to be seen again.

Over the years, the husband-and-wife team has taken note.

And, now they’re ready to take the plunge with a brick-and-mortar version of their French-inspired crepe business. Crepes Bonaparte is opening next month in downtown Fullerton.

Danielle Murcia said she and her husband were not actively pursuing a location, having built a strong business model with their two trucks and catering business. They also operate Curbside Bites, which books food trucks for special events.

But, the opportunity to take over a new space at the corner of Harbor and Commonwealth next to JP23 BBQ was too good to pass up.

“We’re really excited,” said Danielle Murcia said during a recent phone interview.

For the Murcias, parking their concept in Fullerton is the perfect next step for them. The couple grew up in Fullerton, meeting at Troy High School. They also launched Crepes Bonaparte as a catering business based in Fullerton in 2008, two years before joining the food truck craze.

The Murcias join a fray of popular food trucks that have expanded their concepts at shopping centers and food halls including The Lime Truck, The Viking Truck, The Burnt Truck, Dogzilla and Seabirds.

Unlike others, Danielle said she and her husband don’t plan to give up their food truck. She believes that would be detrimental to the brand they’ve cultivated for more than a decade.

“We’ll keep food trucks running full steam ahead,” she said.

In the meantime, she’s been busy putting together the final decor details at the tiny 1,000-square-foot eatery. The restaurant will maintain the same classic “clean” white look of the truck with a splash of red. The counter-service eatery will feature stainless steel countertops and red barstools. As with the food truck, employees will wear black and white uniforms with black berets.

The menu features the same sweet and savory crepes found on the truck, with the addition of French wine, beer and espresso beverages.

The restaurant, at 115 S. Harbor, is slated to open March 1.

L.A. craft beer coming to DTSA

Congregation Ale House, the gastropub turned brewery with outposts in Long Beach, Pasadena and Azusa, is slated to open its first Orange County location this spring.

The downtown Santa Ana location is under construction and awaiting various approvals, said Congregation founder and chief operating officer Travis Ensling. The restaurant will offer the same menu as the other Los Angeles area grillpubs, plus 23 taps.

Of those, six to seven will be dedicated to Congregation brews, while the rest are reserved for guest taps. Congregation initially started as a gastropub; it began brewing when it opened its Azusa location.

Ensling said he’s hoping to open the Santa Ana location this spring. A 5th location is in the works for Southern California, he added. The Santa Ana bar and restaurant, at 201 N. Broadway, is going into the space previously occupied by Kutsi Cocina and Memphis.

Smoothies at your doorstep

Project Juice, whose offices are in Orange County and the Bay Area, has launched a delivery for its smoothie program.

The smoothies can be ordered and shipped for free through the website Sub-Zero Superfoods. The commitment-free subscription service delivers “ready-to-blend” smoothies. The prices are: $71.92 for an 8 pack (smoothie or bowl); $95.88 for a 12 pack and $167.76 for a 24-pack.

San Francisco-based Project Juice, which merged with Southern California-based Ritual Wellness in 2015, also delivers its cold-pressed juices through third party delivery operators.

Barbecue comes to downtown Anaheim

Jav’s BBQ is expected opened last inside the MAKE building. The historic site is across the street from the Anaheim Packing House. The eatery serves Southern smoked meats and scratch sides. Owner and founder Javier Gomez said the meats are cooked “low and slow” in an all-wood pit for no less than 12 hours.

Sundried Tomato owners to open Mexican concept

The operators behind Sundried Tomato American Bistros and Catering in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano are opening a new Mexican restaurant.

Bueno Bueno Mexican Kitchen will be a fast-casual eatery “designed to offer contemporary Mexican cuisine in a delightful and lively environment,” the company said.

Managing Partner Rob Quest said the restaurant was inspired by family-style meals shared by the catering staff in the late morning. The meals were almost always Mexican dishes made with the highest quality ingredients, Quest said.

“Everything is put onto a butcher block table, and whoever is around is always welcome. We noticed that vendors and sales people started to time their visits around this meal,” Quest said in a statement. “The food is so good we always say bueno bueno. Now were very excited to launch this concept as its own restaurant and share it with everyone.”

The menu also features agua frescas, tequila and mescal-based craft cocktails.

The restaurant has a tequila sipping bar and a tortilla making station that is visible to diners. Bueno Bueno is slated to open Mar. 5 for lunch and dinner and breakfast specials on weekends. Address: 26762 Verdugo St., in San Juan Capistrano.

More Craft Beer in Anaheim

Brewheim Brewing Co. is another new brewery slated to land in Anaheim. The brewery, at 1931 E. Wright Circle, is near Angel Stadium. Multiple breweries are in the area including Noble Ale Works, Golden Road Brewing, Karl Strauss, Legends Craft Brewery, and Towne Park Brewery & Taproom.

Nancy Luna is an award-winning journalist with more than 25 years reporting experience. She's been the Register's restaurant beat writer since 2005, covering some of the biggest players in the industry: In-N-Out, Chipotle, McDonald’s and Taco Bell. Luna also covers dining trends from food halls to food trucks. She writes with authority and is considered an expert in her field.

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